This is a fantastic chain located throughout Japan. I visited this specific store is Akihabara, to check out some of the retro video games. This store is full of magazines, DVDs, retro games(Famicom through PS1), and modern games as well. They had lots of new and used books ranging from travel guides to Animé to graphic novels. By far book-off had the best pricing of every shop i went to. The selection was sub-par compared to other shops but that is to be expected with the pricing they offer. I compare this to a Salvation Army back in the US. If you are looking for a little of everything at bargain bin prices this is the place for you. You can always find something unique here and recommend it for anyone shopping for themselves or for souvenirs. I spent hours just combing through the shelves at this place. Do yourself a favor and visit book-off. Its an easy way to kill a few hours or a full day.
Nitsu N.
Place rating: 5 Houston, TX
Book-Off is a great Japanese bookstore. They have travel guides, video games including PS1, magazines, CD, DVD, JAV(if you’re into that), and more. They also sell handheld consoles like PSP and Vita. I managed to find the last AC3: Electrosphere Japanese copy here for 500¥. Credit cards accepted.
Liz P.
Place rating: 5 Shirley, MA
Book-Off is one of my favorite chains in Japan. I love the somewhat tucked away, multi-level Akihabara location, particularly as the selection of video games and manga tend to be really good. They used to have a lot of classic games(e.g. Famicom /Super Famicom era), but when I last visited it was mostly later and current generation games. I’ve found tons of awesome things here(spanning games, CDs, DVDs, and manga). The best part is the hunt — you never know what you’ll find. And everything is in such great condition. This location does get crowded, and it can be hard to navigate the narrow aisles filled with customers browsing and reading.